Every year, 2.6 million dogs and countless cats are slaughtered and consumed in
South Korea. Methods of slaughter include hanging by the neck, prolonged beatings with
pipes and hammers, and electrocution. Often, cats are boiled alive, and dogs are routinely
blowtorched to remove their fur and to brown their skin.

The myth is that the more pain suffered by these animals, the more tender and
aphrodisiac the meat is. This idea is generated by Korean dog-meat (boshintang) dealers.
Dog-meat stew is not a thousand-year-old Korean tradition, as dog-meat dealers claim. The
commercial trade of dogs for consumption began in 1980, when a boom in the Korean economy
made the once-scarce "livestock" meats suddenly affordable. At the time, the
dog-meat trade consisted of only a handful of dealers, who, fearing loss of business,
quickly marketed the myth that dog-meat stew is a traditional "cure-all" health
food.

Cats are also consumed in S. Korea. Pets and strays are repeatedly bludgeoned with
hammers or placed in sacks, which are then pounded on the ground. Often, while still
alive, the cats are thrown into large pots of boiling water and cooked with ginger, dates
and chestnuts until liquefied to a brown paste called goyangi soju, or "cat
juice," which dealers claim will cure rheumatism. Dr. Kim, Sung Yun, a medical doctor
and professor researching rheumatoid arthritis at Hanyang Medical School, said in a
Chosunilbo newspaper article that "cats are absolutely not effective in the treatment
of arthritis. It's a myth." However, even research such as this has done little to
dispel the myth.

Approximately 30 percent of the dogs consumed each year are stolen companion
animals, while the rest are bred by dog "farmers," individuals who raise dogs as
a side business. Most of the cats consumed each year are trapped in crude wire cages.

The Korean Government has failed to enforce its own 1984 Ministry of Health law
banning dog-meat stew as a "disgusting food," and its Animal Protection Law,
enacted in 1991, which bans cruelty to all animals. Designating South Korea as a host of
World Cup 2002 sends a clear message that the world accepts illegal industries and animal
cruelty. Shocking new undercover video documentation of widespread dog and cat torture in
flagrant violation of the laws has incited U.S. humane advocacy organizations to demand an
end to the slaughter and consumption of companion animals in S. Korea.

"This is not an issue of 'cultural differences,'" states Kyenan Kum,
founder and director of International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA). "Caring Koreans
and most people worldwide know that no animal should be tortured and abused. Yet Korean
cat and dog dealers are willfully inflicting maximum pain to dogs and cats for mythical
health benefits.

"The Korean government recognized the terrible suffering caused by the dog
meat trade when it outlawed dog-meat stew in 1984. Today we need the help of caring people
worldwide to stamp out this abuse once and for all."